Special prosecutor in Trayvon Martin case: ‘The media has helped’

Florida State Attorney and special prosecutor Angela Corey praised journalists during the news conference in which she announced that George Zimmerman has been charged with murder in the second degree for the February 26th shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

“It is regrettable that so many facts and details got released and misconstrued,” Corey said Wednesday evening. “But we hope that — and the media has helped, toning it down a lot and making sure that people understand Florida law and the process. And we hope that people will continue to do that.”

State Attorney Angela Corey announced the charges in Jacksonville, Fla. (Rick Wilson/AP)

If there is a trial and no change of venue, Zimmerman will be tried in Seminole County, which neighbors Orlando, where the trial of Casey Anthony led Ninth Circuit Court Judge Belvin Perry to seal jurors’ names for a three-month “cooling-off” period after the not guilty verdict was reached. In his ruling to protect the jurors’ identities from an intensely interested public, Perry wrote:

Basically, court proceedings are no longer news but entertainment. Florida’s public records laws were never intended to further the media’s (as opposed to now old-fashioned news organization’s) bottom line. … Unquestionably, use of Florida public records laws by the media (in general and not just intervenors here) has become simply a tool to sell a story. It is time that Florida’s public records laws recognize this fact and steps be taken to examine whether the laws are too broad and whether the release of certain information is causing more harm…

The judge assigned the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case is likely to call Judge Perry, said lawyer Alison Steele, who represents the Poynter Institute and the Tampa Bay Times. Steele agrees with Perry that there are some cases “that devolve into theater, where people punch it up like they punch up ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ ” But that is no reason to restrict the public’s access to the trial, which requires cameras in the courtroom.

“This is an incredibly important case to Florida. It’s an incredibly important case to the nation,” Steele said by phone Wednesday night. “It’s important that it’s happening in a state that has such broad Sunshine rules. There are people who are not watching this as entertainment. They’re watching it to find out what’s going on in our judicial system. Is everyone behaving? Is everyone performing their jobs in a way that the people they serve — and that’s us, the public — approve of?”

Despite the presence of cameras, Steele said, this will not be a trial by television, it will be “a trial by jury, and it’s important that whatever the outcome is people have the ability to observe and understand it. That’s the only way the judicial system has credibility.”

Will Florida’s Sunshine Law be Victim in George Zimmerman Prosecution?: bit.ly/HBLuYo

http://twitter.com/stanchaz stan chaz

We need to bring some good out of this terrible tragedy. We need to prevent MORE of these senseless killings. The organization called ALEC has actively fostered the spread of “STAND YOUR GROUND” laws to many states. These are the very same laws that led to the Trayvon Martin murder in Florida….laws that “allow” vigilantes to be judge-jury-and-executioner …and get away with it! Some mainstream corporations have funded ALEC. BUT… as their funding has been publicized, they have withdrawn their support. Call or write or email the following two ALEC supporters: JOHNSON and JOHNSON, & STATE FARM insurance ….or.. visit www.pfaw.org/ditchALEC. Please urge these two companies to their cut ties with ALEC. Tell them that they should not want their brands associated with the dangerous laws ALEC promotes — including voter suppression, NRA-backed “stand your ground” laws, extreme racial profiling laws targeting immigrants, privatizing public education and protecting corporate polluters. If you do not want YOUR hard earned money to be used AGAINST your best interests, then Stand YOUR Ground and tell State Farm & Johnson and Johnson, in no uncertain terms: DON’T FUND ALEC! p.s. Didn’t TRAYVON have the right to STAND HIS GROUND and defend himself after being stalked and threatened?